MOVED TO MOTIVATION

I finished reading Drive, by Daniel Pink a couple weeks ago. Since Dan actually reached out to me via twitter, requesting my feedback, I have to admit, I’ve felt a bit of pressure to provide it. Ultimately, my perspective has unfolded naturally, and somehow, fits just perfect with the rest of my life at this given time.

Drive takes you through a historical perspective on motivation—which, as a parent with a B.A. in developmental psychology (who is always looking for ways to motivate my child), is interesting in itself—and the differences between Motivation 2.0; behavior fueled by extrinsic desires versus Motivation 3.0; behavior regulated by intrinsic exploration (get the book, it’s worth the read).

Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that I’m on the right path.

I keep going back to the book, and the notes I took, introspectively reevaluating the messages and what they mean in my life. I’ve been practicing the art of flow for about a month now, seriously sitting with myself and determining, when do I feel happiest and what am I doing during that time? I’ve been weeding out the unnecessary and feeling good about my conclusions.

Just yesterday, I reread an entry in my journal that was, essentially, the sum of the book and inspiration. “The richest experiences in our lives are when we’re listening to our own voices—doing something that matters, doing it well, and doing it in the service of a cause larger than ourselves.”

For the longest time, I have wanted to start Gaia Greetings, not only so that I could control my work experience, but because the business model is such that giving back is incorporated. Support for the environment and arts were always a no-brainer for me. And I have always been interested in the richness of cultures—truly, all those things inspired Gaia Greetings. But tonight—tonight—I feel I have found something more.

I was flipping through on-demand looking for a good movie. As I scrolled through the list, I didn't see much that appealed to me that I hadn’t already seen when I came across the following title: “The Stoning of Soraya M.” The movie is based on the true story of Soraya Manutchehri, who was wrongfully accused of adultery by her husband. It takes place in the small village of Kupayeh, Iran. Because of the religious laws of the territory, she was stoned to death by her community, which included her husband, father, and two of her sons. Her incredibly brave Aunt, Zahra Khanum, leaked the story to French-Iranian journalist, Freidoune Sahebjam, who, by fate, landed in the village due to car troubles. Upon his return to France, he shared her story, so the world would know the atrocities she suffered.

I remember hearing about Soraya and Amnesty International when I was in high school but, now, 20+ years later, I am finally able to truly comprehend the depth of this story. I can’t remember the last time I cried so hard, and felt such empathy. The movie is beautiful, intelligently scripted and acted, graphic, horrifying and so amazingly real, I can’t imagine anyone NOT feeling affected by it.

I am so amazed by the bravery of these women, their vulnerable humanity, and their lack of fear in the face of death and morbidity. Just thinking about it gives me goose bumps. It’s hard to do this story justice in words. It truly has to be experienced.

Meet the newest member of Amnesty International. I've found another cause that motivates me.